Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,391 in South Korea versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,185 in South Korea versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in South Korea versus $1,576 in China.

Living in South Korea is roughly 93% more expensive than in China on average.

South Korea (1% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

South Korea ($1,043–$1,783) and China ($468–$1,236) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 ₩10.1K

$2.93 ¥19.60

156.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.70 ₩59.9K

$22.72 ¥152

96.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₩8,926

$5.07 ¥33.95

31.36%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₩5,343

$2.94 ¥19.70

35.37%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₩2,195

$0.48 ¥3.21

241.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,047

$0.30 ¥2.02

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ₩4,946

$1.06 ¥7.10

248.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₩5,962

$2.25 ¥15.07

97.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,927

$1.79 ¥11.99

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₩3,857

$1.70 ¥11.35

69.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,506

$0.96 ¥6.45

250.00%

Eggs

$3.21 ₩4,308

$1.61 ¥10.79

99.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ₩19.6K

$13.60 ¥91.1

7.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₩11.9K

$3.41 ¥22.84

160.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 ₩33.1K

$11.07 ¥74.2

122.67%

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.1K

$1.81 ¥12.09

356.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,616

$1.30 ¥8.74

164.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 ₩8,478

$1.48 ¥9.91

327.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.30 ¥8.72

351.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₩5,264

$0.72 ¥4.82

445.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 ₩3,751

$0.94 ¥6.31

197.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,610

$0.61 ¥4.08

340.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,571

$0.56 ¥3.73

108.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₩4,384

$3.67 ¥24.58

-10.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₩19.7K

$11.90 ¥79.7

23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,870

$0.83 ¥5.56

157.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₩4,011

$1.65 ¥11.08

81.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,450

$0.29 ¥1.92

272.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.55 ₩61.1K

$22.61 ¥151

101.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ₩4,588

$1.45 ¥9.72

135.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$0.34 ¥2.31

91.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩11.7K

$7.27 ¥48.72

19.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.23 ¥8.26

7.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

52.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.2K ₩40.4M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

74.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$200 ₩268.7K

$55.5 ¥371

261.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$39.60 ₩53.1K

$8.51 ¥57.0

365.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.91 ₩30.7K

$10.81 ¥72.4

111.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ₩75.4K

$40.02 ¥268

40.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$14.80 ¥99.1

8.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$6.73 ¥45.09

64.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$912 ₩1.2M

$454 ¥3,042

100.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩30.8M

$19.5K ¥130.8K

17.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₩75.8K

$44.95 ¥301

25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 ₩57.7K

$35.81 ¥240

20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 ₩104.2K

$76.8 ¥514

1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 ₩128.4K

$77.3 ¥518

23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩786.7K

$385 ¥2,581

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₩544.2K

$242 ¥1,623

67.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$837 ¥5,603

83.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 ₩1.2M

$474 ¥3,177

89.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K ₩21.4M

$4,619 ¥30.9K

245.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,144 ₩10.9M

$2,316 ¥15.5K

251.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,365 ₩3.2M

$1,062 ¥7,110

122.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.47

21.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $430 in South Korea, $295 in China. Capital cities: $891 in Seoul vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,116 in South Korea, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 95% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 145% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Korea vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,413 in South Korea, there's a 66% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in South Korea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.